How do you stack yours? Chuck it all in and hope for the best, or follow a meticulous loading pattern that works every time – but infuriates your other half?
Dishwashers are a common cause of domestic disputes, with many households divided over the best way to get dishes sparkling clean. Now that almost half of UK families own one, that’s a lot of arguments over the washing-up.
There is nothing more annoying, after all, than waiting for a cycle to finish, only to find bits of food still crusted on your crockery. But living with a ‘dishwasher dictator’ who spends their evenings restacking plates and pre-rinsing glasses can be just as maddening.
So is there a right (or a wrong) way to stack your dishwasher? We ask Which? dishwasher expert Andrew Laughlin and repair specialist Steve Neale, known as the London Spin Doctor, for their top tips.
Dishwashers are a common cause of domestic disputes, with many households divided over the best way to get dishes sparkling clean (picture posed by model)
Don’t waste time rinsing plates
It’s a common misconception that you need to rinse food from your plates before putting them in the dishwasher – but experts say there’s no need.
‘Modern machines are designed to deal with food residues and have pre-rinse stages built into the cycle,’ explains Andrew.
‘In fact, pre-rinsing rarely improves the result. Dishwashers use less water than washing by hand, so it’s far more efficient to let the machine do the work.’
It is, however, important to scrape large chunks of food off your plate, says Steve.
‘Any foreign objects that go through the machine will block up the drain,’ he explains. ‘The worst offenders are sweetcorn, olive pits, eggshells, seeds and chicken bones.’
Stack plates at least 5mm apart
Don’t be tempted to squeeze too much crockery into the lower-level racks, says Steve.
‘Everything should have a gap between it – at least 5mm between plates – or the water jets won’t run properly, and the detergent won’t reach the dishes.’
Beware of similar-sized bowls creating airtight suction between them, too; make sure you can clearly see the edges of every dish or you’ll end up with food residue.
Alternative cutlery in the basket
Cutlery trays are better than baskets, say the experts, as they keep utensils well separated and make it easier to remove stubborn stains.
‘Traditional cutlery baskets are still convenient because they’re removable and quick to unload, but they do make it easier for spoons and forks to “nest” together,’ says Andrew.
This is because the concave shape of the utensils makes the dirty ends settle inside one another.
To prevent this, he recommends alternating the direction of spoons and forks – one up, one down – so they don’t stick together, especially if you’ve been eating something sticky, like jam or ketchup.
When it comes to knives, these clean better when angled upwards. ‘But if they’re particularly sharp, it’s safer to point them down into the basket,’ says Steve.
Which? dishwasher expert Andrew Laughlin
Adjust height of the racks
Dinner plates don’t fit in the dishwasher? Don’t wash them by hand – instead, adjust the rack height.
‘Most people don’t realise that the upper basket in your dishwasher has two heights,’ says Steve. ‘It comes from the factory on the lower height, but it’s easy to move it to the upper level.’
You can also change the spacing between the slots – also known as ‘tines’ – to fit different sizes of crockery and glassware on the upper and lower levels.
Some models have sections that fold, flatten down or come out completely to make more loading space. ‘This improves circulation and cleaning,’ says Andrew.
Load the machine in a circle
Engineers at the University of Birmingham used radioactive isotopes to track water movement inside dishwashers – and discovered the best way to load crockery.
Plates, they said, should be arranged in a circle, with carbohydrate-stained dishes at the centre (where water velocity is highest, which is required to dislodge this type of food) and protein-stained dishes around the edges (where water moves slower, so the plates spend more time in contact with the detergent).
This can be difficult to do in a standard dishwasher – especially one with the cutlery basket in the middle – so Andrew has this advice: ‘On the bottom rack, plates should face the centre with dirty sides towards the spray arms, and bowls should be placed face-down to avoid trapping water.’
Glasses up top, pans on the bottom
As for where to put glassware and other utensils, Steve suggests putting glasses, cups, mugs, small bowls and spatulas on the top rack, and pots and pans on the bottom.
‘They wash the same – there’s no difference in how the top and bottom rack clean – but it’s a good idea to put like with like.
‘And avoid putting any nice wine glasses in your dishwasher. They’ll rattle around when it’s washing and, if they break, they’ll block the drain pump.’
Skip the tablet dispenser
Forget clicking your dishwasher tablet into the dispenser every time you put your machine on – there’s really no need.
All this mechanism does is release the tablet (containing the detergent) plus a small amount of rinse aid into the machine at a certain point in the cycle.
‘For some people the dispenser breaks or is not reliable,’ says Andrew. ‘Around 6 per cent of faults are with the dispenser. If you’re affected by this, just chuck the tablet into the base of the machine and it should do just as good a job.’
Crack the door to dry the dishes
If you have an older model, your dishwasher may not open automatically at the end of its cycle.
The experts say it’s crucial to crack the door open – just a centimetre or two – to allow the steam to escape when it’s finished washing.
‘Letting the dishwasher breathe reduces mould, odours and condensation, and helps dishes dry faster,’ Andrew says.
THE FIVE MISTAKES YOU’VE BEEN MAKING
1. Overfilling your machine
A dishwasher that’s too full simply won’t clean as efficiently as one that’s well stacked.
But this isn’t simply a case of taking a few dishes out. Steve says it’s all in the spray arms (the rotating plastic ‘wings’ that spin at high speed).
‘When you’ve loaded your dishwasher, give both spray arms a half turn to make sure they spin freely and aren’t obstructed by anything on the top or bottom,’ he advises.
2. Using the wrong cycle
Don’t select a programme without checking it’s right for the job.
‘You can pretty much use the “automatic” programme for all normal loads,’ says Steve.
‘It has a light sensor inside, meaning that after finishing the main wash it does a rinse, and if the water is still murky, it automatically does another wash.’
Eco settings, he adds, are usually a waste of time – as they take longer and use less water.
‘If you’ve baked or roasted, use the “intensive” programme. And for breakfast and lunch dishes, just run a “quick” wash.’
3. Falling for fancy tablets
‘Ignore what all the detergent tablets say and what they claim to do,’ says Steve.
There’s no point in spending a fortune on expensive or viral tablets that claim to leave your dishes sparkling. Choose the most affordable ones instead.
Arguably more important are the other components which keep your machine running smoothly: salt and rinse aid (a drying agent and water repellent which lowers the surface tension of the water, allowing it to run off your dishes).
‘These are essential, especially in hard water areas like the South of England,’ Steve adds.
4. Washing knives, graters and plastic
There are certain everyday items you should never put in your dishwasher.
These include: fine china and crystal (prone to breaking), cast-iron cookware (dulls), non-stick pans (destroys the coating), wooden spoons (crack in high temperatures) and cooking knives (prone to rusting, and can also cut into the rubber coating of your machine).
Repair specialist Steve Neale, known as the London Spin Doctor, warns that you must not avoid dishwasher maintenance. You should top up the salt levels monthly and the rinse aid every fortnight, and clean the filter every one to two months
You should also hand-wash graters, as the dishwasher can’t reach the insides for a proper clean.
Children’s plastic crockery, says Steve, is another no-no.
‘Your dishwasher dries what’s inside it by heating up for ten minutes; normal crockery absorbs the heat and helps dry everything around it. Plastic won’t absorb the heat, and so will stay wet.’
5. Failing to clean your machine
Dishwasher maintenance is probably low down your priority list, but avoid it at your peril.
Top up the salt levels monthly and the rinse aid every fortnight, and clean the filter every one to two months.
Every time you empty it, make sure you scoop any food remnants out from the base and dispose of them, as they could block the drain.
‘Left unchecked, these could kill your dishwasher,’ warns Steve. ‘Think of your dishwasher as being like your stomach. Don’t put anything in there that you wouldn’t eat – or it could be a very expensive mistake.’